


Breathless

by gladiatorAviator



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Genre: Dancing, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 21:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17030310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gladiatorAviator/pseuds/gladiatorAviator
Summary: Blue will only ever find his breath stolen away when they dance.





	Breathless

**Author's Note:**

> y'ain't a proper fanfic author until you write continuations of a fic you haven't wrote yet

Blue knew what it was like to get the air knocked out of him. A blow across the chest; an instant sting in the ribs and throat constricted from shock. Pain, sharp and shooting, stunning the mind and making it forget how to breathe. A punch to the gut; feeling the air leave his lungs and leave him doubled over as pain radiated from the hit, clenching sides as he desperately tried to get his lungs to work again. Suffocation; an entirely different breed, but still just as alarming. Air fills his chest, but it’s the wrong type for his body. Mind growing foggy as he works double time for breath, but only the taste of death enters instead. 

This though? This wasn’t the same at all. This had nothing that Blue could relate it to, but he still felt fear all the same. It feels like his breath is connected to a string, and whenever he is blinded, his air gets tugged right out of him, swaying in front of his lips, teasing him as he desperately grasps for some semblance of a proper breath. He’s not drowning, he’s not dying, but his heart pumps the same and his chest continues to burn.

The color in front of him is red dusted golden, white webbing glinting off of shining skin, and Blue can feel his own scars flare into hot brandings that still refuse to release their grip. 

Matching marks, different beasts. 

Red twists around on light feet, eyes catching Blue’s. His smile is distressingly disarming, and Blue feels his breath get torn from his throat. Red is haloed by bright morning sunlight drifting in through the glass-stained windows, encircling him in a warm glow that’s punctuated only by motes of dust passing through, reflecting the light back and forth until Blue can hardly stand to stare any longer.

“You came!” Red comes running towards him and wraps his arms around Blue’s torso, pushing out what little breath Blue had to spare. Red’s laugh is so incredibly infectious that Blue can’t help but smile wide and return the hug. Red is a small thing, in his arms. He can feel heat radiating off of him and bleeding into his arms, he can feel Red vibrate as he pulls himself closer. His breath is hot and humid against Blue’s neck, and he can’t help but shiver.

Red pulls away from him and Blue recovers his breath. “Zelda’s orders,” Blue says, though he would have come even if the princess hadn’t demanded it. There’s not as many moments where they can be alone together, not since the wedding was put into motion. They were running errands this way and that, hardly able to catch a glance of the other as they were sent to help where their expertise was needed most. 

Even still, Blue can’t work himself up into as much of a sweat as he would like; his sword arm is still damaged, scar tissue still preventing a full range of motion, and he can’t overdo it or else it’ll take even longer to heal. It frustrates him more than he’d like to admit; his sword is his life and his swordsmanship is his livelihood. One cannot live without the other. 

Red is under similar orders; though he has other values besides his swordsmanship. He is a knight, but also a haven for the lost and the lonely. His emotional aptitude is beyond what Blue could ever hope to achieve. He knows how to pull people in, how to let them feel cared for and loved. He’s the heart that keeps them going, he’s the hands that are soft enough to wipe away tears and hard enough to keep pushing them forward. He’s passion, he’s hope, and Blue is entirely helpless around him.

“Even Zelda’s noticed? Blue, you are absolutely hopeless,” Red teases. “And I thought Shadow was bad.”

“Shadow cheats,” Blue says quickly, feeling his cheeks grow hot. “He can float.”

“I think you’re just jealous,” Red says, taking Blue’s hand into his and pulling him along. “He can look more graceful, but I think he’ll be the one tripping over his own feet in the end. I tried asking him to come today too, but I don’t think he’ll be coming. He said something about needing more rest.”

Blue snorts. That’s been his go-to excuse lately, but Blue isn’t surprised. Of course, he’s still trying to stabilize to his new life, and Blue can’t exactly blame him for wanting to be out of people’s sights for a while yet.

Red is pulling him past shining windows and through hallway throats until they’re outside in one of the courtyards. Sweet-smelling flowers embrace the two boys as Red continues deeper into the gardens. Hedges rise around them, with splashes of color between deep green leaves. The area widens into a private grassy area with stone benches dotted around the perimeter. No wildflowers here; the season for them has already come and gone. Zelda keeps this section free from her regular cultivars, waiting to see what flowers would take root each spring, what things could be brought in from the surrounding areas to give her glances of the outside world.

The trees are starting to change, green bleeding into gold and red, the colors stark against the clear sky. A gentle breeze blows by—a little colder than usual, but not anything Blue can’t handle. Red’s hand in his is warm enough anyway.

Red spins around, facing Blue and grinning. “You ready?” He takes Blue’s other hand, and squeezes them both tightly. His eyes are shimmering and bright, as if he distilled the essence of spring and let it shine through him. Blue glances down at Red’s hands, gripping them tighter when he sees the white vines of scars that climb up his arm and peek through his neck. His own only stop at his collarbone—he should have been the one to sustain the most damage, not Red. He didn’t deserve to be marred like this, though he takes it gracefully whenever people stop and stare. Blue knows it still bothers him, that he traces the marks when the nights are too long and sleep is too far away to be comforting. 

“Blue?” Red’s voice pierces through his thoughts.

Blue shakes his head. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You aren’t thinking about that, are you?” Red’s voice is low, subdued. His body seems to wilt, more of his weight being transferred to Blue’s hands. “We don’t have to do this today if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s fine,” Blue says quickly, lifting his gaze from the scars to Red’s eyes. They’re quick to meet his, and Blue finds himself drowning in his sapphire eyes before he can catch himself. His breath catches in his throat, and Blue finds himself adrift, neck deep in a warm ocean that’s quick to buoy him up with a bright flash of white teeth. Red’s smile; it’s soft and reassuring, an anchor to his moored vessel.

Blue blinks himself back to the gardens. The sweet smell of the flowers is intoxicating, a heady scent that blocks out all others, pulling him out of the sea and into the grass. It mixes with cinnamon and maple as Red pulls Blue close. Red pulls Blue’s left hand outward, and moves his right to rest right below Blue’s bicep. “We’ll start with form,” Red says. “Your hand is a little too far around my back; it needs to be a support on the shoulder blade.”

Blue complies, feeling heat rise to the tips of his ears. Red’s body is warm, and feeling his body beneath his hands is a little more thrilling than he likes to admit. Red’s grip is strong, his arms toned, even though he’s had to cut back on training to let them heal. He still feels lithe, still powerful, after all they have been through. Blue still feels weak, but feeling Red’s healing body beneath his puts to rest a section of his heart that has been weighing him down. 

Red’s still here, he’s still here. They’re all still here. Together.

“Roll your shoulders back, tilt your chin up,” Red says, pulling Blue out of his thoughts. “If you can,” he adds quickly, glancing at Blue’s shoulder. “If it hurts too much still—”

“It’s fine,” Blue says. Scar tissue pulls across his chest, and he does his best to hide his grimace. He needs to start improving the range of motion anyway. A little bit of time feeling uncomfortable—he can handle that. It’s nothing compared to what he’s dealt with in the past.

Red pushes against him, and Blue stumbles backwards. “Standing like that looks nice and all—you look very regal, Blue—but it doesn’t mean anything if there isn’t anything behind it.”

“What do you mean?” Blue can feel his cheeks dusting red. He wants to get this right—he really does—but he doesn’t feel graceful when moving across the floor. Dancing isn’t something that fits him, he figured. It’s too delicate and refined for someone like him.

Red pauses, pursing his lips. His grip tightens on Blue’s arm. “I think you’re thinking too hard about this,” he says after a moment. “The different guards for quarterstaff; Where does your stance originate from?”

“Your core,” Blue answers quickly. He feels a pang through his heart. He was just starting to master the basics for quarterstaff, and now he can’t practice at all. It’s hard enough going through the motions for swordplay, much less something as powerful and unwieldy as a quarterstaff. 

“It’s the same for dance,” Red says. “You’re trying too hard to separate the two, I think. They’re both driven by that same core. You think yourself as only good in one of those situations, but at their roots, they’re the same. You’re supposed to be able to control me on the floor. You need to be firm in your form. I’m your weapon. I shouldn’t be swinging too far out, or cause you to go off balance. We’re supposed to work together.” Red smiles gently at him. “Let’s try again.”

Blue sets himself up again, hands firm in Red’s hand and on his back, chest out, chin up. Red pushes against him, and this time Blue’s body is able to follow through with Red’s motion. Red gives him the brightest smile, spilling up and over into his eyes, and Blue feels his breath get tugged out of his throat. Red’s breath is brushing over his collarbone, golden hair shimmering in the sunlight, and Blue just barely realizes how _close_ they are.

“Yes! Hold your form like that,” Red is beaming up at him, still stealing his breath. “With a little bit of practice, we can get you gliding around as light as a feather.” 

“You really think so?” Blue says. Red’s smile is infectious, and Blue can feel the beginnings of optimism stir in his heart. Maybe he can get this down in time for the wedding.

“Of course! You’ll be able to move as easily as you do when you’re going through your training routines. You move so gracefully across the floor when you do that, you know.” Red ducks his head, trying and failing to hide the blush dusting his cheeks. “It’s like your feet don’t even touch the ground, that you’re moving and dancing with the wind. It’s very beautiful.”

 _You’re very beautiful,_ Blue barely stops the words from escaping his tongue. “I—thanks Red,” he stammers instead. How easy it is, for Red to fill his heart and make it rise and swell. He can feel embers kindle behind his ribs, the gentle warmth casting off the hurt in his shoulder. His breath hitches when Red moves unbearably close to him, their hips almost touching, and he can feel his arms shake as Red’s grip tightens. 

Blue feels Red’s breath across his face as Red pushes Blue’s left foot back. “You need to point it,” he says, looking past him to his left. “Start out low, chin up, look to the right,” Red says. “You’re going start your first step with your pointed foot, and the most important part is the rise and fall. This is how you convince people you know what you’re doing.” 

The rise and fall of Red’s chest near his is enough that Blue nearly misses what he’s saying.

“Three steps; start out low, rise to the balls of your feet, then end in the middle. It’s fairly simple once we start going—you’ll see.” Red’s breath is distracting against his arm. Blue feels his own leave him, yet again. 

Red is just _so close_ to him. It’s the closest they’ve been for a long while. Yes, sometimes they cuddle on the couch in front of the fire, sometimes they sleep together, their limbs entangled with the others and the blankets, sometimes they hug each other for a little too long, but this feels... different from the rest. Blue can hardly breathe, feeling more than a little dizzy with Red’s body heat reflecting onto his. His smell is as intoxicating as the flowers in the gardens, heavy and bright, blinding him and causing the beginnings of tunnel vision.

“...you got all that?” Red squeezes his hand, pulling Blue back to his senses. 

“Y-yeah. Of course,” Blue stutters. He feels _really_ out of breath. It can’t be just from holding a pose, but he _has_ been out of sorts recently. Perhaps his stamina just isn’t as good as it used to be. Yes. That has to be the reason, and not because being so close to Red feels so _right._

Red’s lips tug up into a smile. “If you’re sure. I’m ready when you are.”

Blue strides forward, and he’s surprised how easily Red moves with him. Side-step, down, and he repeats the motion. The movement feels a lot more natural than he expected, and soon he’s gliding with Red across the gardens, spinning together in dizzying circles as one. Blue chances a look at him and he can feel his breath hitch in his throat. Red is caught up in the moment, lips parted and eyes closed. All the lines from his face are gone, leaving nothing but the soft roundness that invites, that entices. He looks so carefree, like everything that has happened to him never occurred, that he is still the energetic boy with a heart too large to fit behind his chest.

The gardens seem to dim with each step, each spin, Red moving himself across Blue’s body and his doing the same. The longer they dance the more the world around them fades away, leaving only two hearts beating as one, something electric capturing the both of them. The grass doesn’t exist underfoot, the sun isn’t the thing warming them, the air they slice through together exists only as soft brushes on skin. 

Golden hair twists and bounces in front of Blue’s eyes, followed by a flash of red as they spin together, the world around them completely faded away. Blue glides on light feet, Red matching his every movement, an extension of him rather than another person. He can feel Red’s warmth, matching the fire in his own heart. He looks divine, ethereal, and it’s only Blue that can bask in his light without burning away. 

Soon enough, the breath that leaves Blue isn’t from being stunned again and again by Red’s graceful movement and his celestial beauty. But if he stops, will this moment leave forever? This is the lightest he’s felt in a long time, the most carefree he can remember. Dancing with Red—it’s the thing he didn’t know he needed.

It’s Red that begins to slow down, lagging behind Blue’s movements, and with reluctance, he spins once more then stops. Red collapses into Blue’s chest, wrapping his arms around him for support. “You did wonderful,” he says between panting breaths. “I knew you could do it.”

Blue pulls him closer, feeling lightheaded and dizzy. His own breath is coming in short bursts, puffing against Red’s hair. He can hardly think, not with Red so close to him, not with his warmth burning him and his scent drowning his senses. Blackness is encroaching on the edges of his vision, only quick breaths keeping it from overtaking him entirely. 

“You’re beautiful. You’re so beautiful.” The words leave his mouth unbidden.

Red looks up at him with ocean eyes, and only then do the words he spoke register in his mind. Red’s looking at him with an intensity Blue’s never seen before. He’s been stunned, mouth agape and Blue can recognize that his breath has been pulled out of him too. Sapphire eyes shimmer back at him, Red’s lips tugging into a smile.

Blue can feel the blush fill his cheeks, rise to the very tips of his ears. “I-ah... Red,” Blue can feel his blush deepen just saying his name, “Red, I, uh, I don’t—I just got caught up in the moment—”

Red’s lips abruptly end whatever thing he was going to stammer next. An embarrassing squeak leave his lips and enter Red’s. His lips are warm and soft and Blue can’t help but to lean into it and kiss him back. His own are chapped and feel rough against Red’s, but even with how messy it is something in his heart clicks into place. Red pulls back, and Blue nearly topples trying to lean back into him.

Red laughs at him, knees shaking and pulling them both down to sit on the ground. His face is flushed, grinning with a distant, sparkling look in his eyes. “I love you too, Blue,” he says, breathless.

“Red,” Blue starts, but he can’t find anything to say. Instead, he grabs Red’s arms hanging at his sides and pulls him in for another kiss. Red’s gasp of surprise feeds into Blue’s hunger as he kisses him once, twice, again and again and again. Red’s lips are so warm, so soft, so innocent. Blue wants the taste of Red sitting on his lips forever. His lips migrate off of Red’s and over his cheek, down his chin and onto the scars that lace their way across his neck. He may not have been able to take the scars from him, but perhaps he can kiss the pain away, that whatever marks he leaves on Red’s throat can be a distraction enough that Red won’t have to think about them ever again.

“I love you, Red,” he breathes. “I love you so much.”

This time it’s Red that can’t seem to find words. Blue’s lips are _really_ distracting on his neck. “Blue—ah, Blue,” he stutters, eyes fluttering. His hands reach out, finding purchase on Blue’s shirt. An embarrassing moan leaves his throat as Blue continues to kiss his scars.

Blue bares his teeth and nips around Red’s neck, leaving marks of his own. He’s been wanting this, he’s been wanting Red and now he has him all to himself. His marks can cover the old ones. His lips can heal them. He can tear out the white lacing with his teeth, can cover it back up with trails of saliva from his tongue lazily gliding over them. 

Red’s moans fuel him, his hands clenching and unclenching his shirt, fingers brushing against his chest. The touches he leaves feel like new brandings, ones that can cover his own scars. The hurt in his chest wasn’t just from seeing Red, it was seeing Red hurt, and not knowing what to do about it. It was his heart reaching forward, wanting to touch Red’s, wanting to hold him and kiss him silly, until he could only feel Blue’s passion wash away everything else. 

“Blue,” Red groans. “B-Blue please, I can’t—”

Blue tears away from his neck and kisses those sweet, soft lips, cutting Red off. Red leans into him, a whimper leaving his lips as Blue finally pulls back. They’re both panting, leaning into each other until their foreheads touch. Blue wraps an arm around Red’s neck, fingers ruffling up into his hair. Ocean meets sky as their eyes connect, breaths wrapping into each other. Their shoulders are rising and falling together, fingers intertwined in the space between. Blue closes his eyes, feeling Red’s touch and letting it flood through him. Red’s skin against his own is exhilarating, filling his chest and overflowing, crowding his throat so he can barely catch his breath. He feels as good—no, _better_ —as when he’s done with a particularly difficult training session, mastering what once was confusing. 

“You got a bit carried away,” Red puffs, his breath returned enough to speak. Blue opens his eyes and meets Red’s. They’re so bright, blinding, and inside there is that sparkle of a hunger satiated, of a longstanding pining finally being resolved.

“Maybe a little,” Blue puffs back, leaning forward to kiss him again. “I was just making up for all the chances I missed before.”

“Maybe we should make up for more of them later,” Red says, a dangerous glint in his eyes. 

Blue feels a shiver down his spine seeing this new look Red has never shown him before. “Maybe,” he says, unable to cover the excitement in his voice. How could he ever lived without tasting Red on his lips, feeling Red move beneath him, having Red take away his pain and replace it with something so beautiful.

Red untangles himself from Blue and stands back up, holding out a hand to help him up. Blue nearly pulls him back down as he hoists himself up. He can feel his cheeks burning, his throat pulsing in time with his heartbeat when he looks at Red’s neck and sees only a collar of his bites, rather than the lacing of scars too deeply imprinted to ever leave.

“Sorry,” he says as his fingers brush across indentations of his teeth, a blue bruise blossoming underneath. This will give people another reason to stare, but he finds it hard to feel regret when seeing those marks he made makes his heart swell.

Red shivers beneath him, batting away his hand. “Stop! It’s sensitive,” he whines as Blue sneaks another touch. “I wasn’t expecting you to be this _needy._ ”

“And I wasn’t expecting you to taste so good,” Blue says, wrapping an arm around Red’s waist and pulling him closer. “This is your fault, you know. For tasting so good.” He traces the netting of scars on Red’s arm. “You should know this by now.”

Red huffs a laugh, pushing Blue away from him. “You’re the worst.”

“You love me,” Blue teases, stealing another touch of Red’s neck again, feeling vindicated as Red yelps beneath him. Oh, he could have so much fun with this later.

“Fine. Yes, I do love you,” Red takes Blue’s hand before he can touch him again. “That doesn’t mean you’re getting out of dance lessons just because you distracted me, as good of a distraction as it was.” Red guides Blue’s hand to his back. “I need to make sure you haven’t forgotten everything I taught you,” he says cheekily.

Blue rolls his eyes dramatically, stepping into position. Red shivers beneath his touch as he puffs out his chest, smiling brightly at him. “You’re gonna make me do all of this again?”

“Zelda’s orders,” Red shrugs. “I can’t not let her think that we did nothing together this morning.”

Blue doesn’t miss the glint in Red’s eye. He’s haloed by radiant morning sun, eyes half-lidded, a gentle smile on his lips. Divine. Ethereal. His soft hands meld easily into Blue’s calloused ones, their bodies connecting as one.

Blue can’t keep himself from smiling wide as they spin into motion, the world fading away around them. His breath leaves him, but he knows that it will be safe in Red’s hands. 

Red’s will be safe in his.

**Author's Note:**

> LIKE COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE GARBAGE  
> the Main Event is on its way...


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